Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-10-21
The Demand for More Eligible Quarters for the Dr.
ganizafOr Growing Very Dscidsdy-Plans
Discussed Informally fort New
Building.


there has been a growing feeling that if
the regular meetings were to be continued
and anything like fair proportion Of the
members of the organization attracted to
the room, there must be change of loca-
ton. At the last special meeting OF the
body this subject was touched upon, and
the result WAS the appointment OF a spe-
cisI committee to seek suitable quarters
and make a general report to the Chamber.
The idea has been that the present room
is too far out of the beaten path Of even
ing travel to attract any but those mem
beers who are either interested in some
project, or who take such deep concern
in the welfare of the body as to be willing
to 90 out OF their road to attend its meet
iugs. Main street, below Twelfth is dark
and unattractive after night; there is no
travel there; the rooms front on an alley,
are upa long flight of dingy stairs, and once
the member is there, he finds nothing to
interest him. There is no literature, save
and except one trade paper, which is
printed in Spanish; there is but the one
large apartment, where one not especially
interested in the transaction of the routine
business must nevertheless sit through it
or else 90 home, and to crown al, the
room is open but once month, as regu-
lar thing, and that once comes after night.
All this is unsatisfactory in the extreme,
\ Al. 80 81 he toll oct nj nh yva .
in the direction of recounting these draw
backs. 1t was the universal belief of those
present that the location Of the headquar-
ters of the body should be changed, and
that with the change the scope of the organ
ization should be very materially broad
ened. 1t was felt that not only was there
a demand for regular meetings for the trans
action of business, but that the rooms
should be open at all reasonable hours for
the convenience of members, that there
should be committee rooms or other apart
ments where members and their friends
could discuss matters Of q private
nature without coming in conflict
with the routine business Of the body, and
that there should be at.hand for the infor-
nation of the members all the leading trade
papers, and such other literature as might
be deemed necessary or desirable by the
members. 1t was conceded that all this
would add to the attraCtiyenesS and value
of the organization, but at the same time
it was felt that above everything else there
should be a change of location to Market
street, somewhere, if possible, between
Twelfth and Fourteenth, and this led up
G,,ll 90 mi fnfn
from q member OF the special committee
appointed to seek more eligible quarters.
This gentleman stated that he had made
a thorough canvass Of Market street, be-
tween Sixteenth and Twelfth, and had
been unable to find more than a single
room at all suitable for the needs Of the
body, and that room was not especially
desirable. A member who takes deep
interest in the Chamber, and who has re-
Gently been abroad, referred to the COM
mon practice of commercial bodies in other
lands making their headquarters at some
leading hotel, and this brought out the
suggestion that perhaps apartments might
be secured in that way in this city. The
room Just at the left hand of the Market
street entrance to the Mcclure House, now
used as a reading room, was talked OF, as
being q model Of convenience, but there
was doubt expressed as to the ability Of
the Chamber to obtain it.
By and by some one asked: why
should not the Chamber have building
of its OWN" This question has been
asked before, and has even been dis
cussed at length, in the past few months,
A,k has he inf
manifested when the thing was referred
to last night. A document submitted to
the Chamber in March last was brought
forth from its grave in a table drawer and
read, and this served to create q still more
favorable impression. 1t was thought
by those present that building say five
stories high, of imposing architecture,
solidly constructed, and provided with pas
senger elevators, and all the modern con-
veniences, could be put up for somewhere
in the vicinity of $50, 900, and from Stats
tics submitted, it was felt that there would
be no trouble in securing ten per cent.
income on such an investment. The first
floor of the proposed building would be de-
voted to store-rooms, and the upper floors
would be divided up into offices, among
which would be included large room for
the convenience of the Chamber, this to be
located on the second floor, and to be sur
rounded with committee and reading
rooms, etc. The gentlemen dwelt upon
the attractiveness such quarters would
possess for the members of the organiza'
ton, and the more the thing was dis
cussed the stronger became the feeling
khakN ha ,,la A ho ord
of half an hour, and before the gentlemen
separated, there was well-defned purpose
in the minds of half dozen to make a
start in the matter, and it is pretty safe to
say that certificate Of incorporation will
be applied for very soon, the purpose being
to secure subscriptions of stock to Cham
Der of Commerce building.
The discussion of last evening went
much farther in some directions than has
been here indicated. Locations for the
talked of building were referred to, for
instance, but il would be manitestly i'm.
proper to refer to these matters at this
time. 1t is to be sincerely hoped
that this thing will materialize;
and there is no very good rea-
son why it should not. Certainly there
would be no lack of demand for fine
office quarters, in building where the
rent would be moderate, the accommoda-
tons strictly first class, the free services
of janitor at the disposal of tenants, and
good aud permanent location secured.
As for the store-room feature of the build
ing, there would even be less difficulty re-
gardiDg tenants. The REGISTER knows of
at least one merchant who has been anxious
for years to get sufficiently roony quarters
on Market street, and who has expressed
his willingness to take ten years lease on
the right store-room. Doubtless there are
others in the same fix.
Give rs Chamber Of Commerce build
ing.
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ERnTN.o,S, D,T on4Dr.